Alteration in Activity Patterns of Cows as a Result of Pain Due to Health Conditions

The main conditions and diseases considered painful in dairy cows are mastitis, lameness, calving (including dystocia and caesarean section) and metritis. The cattle literature reports that deviation from normal daily activity patterns (both increased and/or reduced daily lying time) can be indicative of painful conditions and diseases in cows. This narrative review discusses on how pain due to several health conditions in dairy cows modifies its activity pattern and explores if non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are capable of restoring it. Divergent outcomes may differ depending upon the painful cause, the severity and the moment, and consequently its interpretation should be properly explained. For instance, cows with clinical mastitis reduced their time lying and increased the number of lying bouts and stepping due to pain caused by the swollen udder when cows are lying. However, lame cows show longer lying times, with a lower number of lying bouts and longer and more variable lying bouts duration, as compared to non-lame cows. When the relationship between painful disorders and daily activity patterns is studied, factors such as parity, bedding type and severity of disease are important factors to take into consideration. The potential benefits of the NSAIDs treatment in painful health disorders depend upon the type of drug administered, its dosage and administration mode, and the time of administration relative to the painful health disorder. This narrative review can be used as a tool to properly interpret and grade pain in cows through behavioural activity patterns and proposes directions for future investigations.

Assessment of the drinker type on water intake and toy type on behaviour of nursery piglets

This study was conducted to assess the effect of two types of drinkers on water intake (WI) and two types of toys on behavioural observations of piglets in the nursery phase. A total of 72 crossbred entire male piglets (Landrace × Large White, Agroceres♂ and DanBred♀), weaned at 21 days of age, with an average initial body weight (AIBW) of 6.75 ± 0.19 kg were used. Two statistical models were fitted for WI. In model I, animals were distributed in a completely randomized design (CRD) with a split-plot in time, composed of six treatments (2 types of drinkers × 3 experimental phases), eight replications (days of sampling), and 36 animals/experimental unit (EU), without using AIBW as a covariate. In model II, animals were distributed in a CRD with two treatments (fixed or pendular nipple drinkers), eight replications (days of sampling) and 36 animals/EU, with use of AIBW as a covariate. For assessment of behavioural observations, the model was adjusted in a randomized block design, consisting of four treatments [two types of toys (metal chain and plastic bottle) × two daytime periods (morning and afternoon)], nine replications and three blocks constituted in time (days), totalling four pigs/EU. The results indicated an effect on animal daily WI in the starter phase in model I (p < 0.000) and II (p = 0.006). There was an effect (p ≤ 0.05) of toy type for behavioural observations, in which pigs showed a greater proportion of fighting and belly nosing when they had the bottle toy. However, animals spent more time (p ≤ 0.05) eating, drinking water, overlapping, and playing with the toy when they had access to the chain toy. There was an increase (p ≤ 0.05) in sleeping behaviour in the morning period, as well as greater (p ≤ 0.05) behavioural activity in the afternoon period. In conclusion, WI of nursery piglets was positively influenced by growth phase, and the fixed drinker stimulated greater WI in piglets in the starter phase. In addition, the metal chain, as an environmental enrichment, promoted improvements in feeding behaviour and WI, reducing fighting events, and the afternoon period had increased behavioural observations overall.

Monitoring post-release behavioural activity of captive-bred urial (Ovis vignei punjabiensis) at Togh Managara Safari Park Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

The Punjab urial (Ovis vignei punjabiensis) is a globally threatened wild sheep species. In Pakistan the species is legally protected and bred in captivity to release into natural habitats to reinforce wild populations. Vigilance and feeding are critical to survival, though the degree to which captive-bred animals exhibit these behaviours post-release has rarely been investigated. We monitored the daily behaviours of five adult urial after release and classifying behaviours from 0600 hrs to 1800 hrs, replicating each one-hour period twice and recording four observations of each animal per hour. At the herd level, vigilance and feeding behaviours were exhibited equally. Males and females invested equal time in feeding, males were more vigilant (p = 0.001) and more aggressive (p = 0.010), and females were more restful (p = 0.019) or engaged in grooming (p = 0.044) or locomotion (p = 0.002). Females spent more time feeding than being vigilant (p = 0.002). Males maintained high levels of vigilance throughout the day. Patterns of resting 1300 hrs to 1500 hrs and feeding in early morning and late afternoon were common for both sexes. Behaviours classified as ‘other’ were exhibited equally between sexes. Our results reveal positive indications of captive-bred urial balancing threat detection and energy acquisition post-release and exhibiting natural behaviours and activity patterns. We encourage assessment of survivorship to evaluate long-term effectiveness of captive breeding and release as a candidate restoration programme.

Evaluation of the effect of high air temperature on the behavioural activity and physical performance of animals (in a rat model)

Introduction. The profession of firefighters belongs to extreme activities. Fire hazards include flames, sparks, heat flow, elevated ambient temperatures, increased concentrations of toxic combustion and thermal decomposition products, decreased oxygen concentrations, and reduced visibility in smoke. High air temperature during fire extinguishing is one of the main adverse physical factors affecting firefighters’ bodies. Material and methods. The study was carried out on 124 outbred white male 3-month rats weighing 250-300 g, divided randomly into two groups: the first group (62 rats) underwent single hyperthermia. The second group (62 rats) experienced daily hyperthermia for 14 days. The study of the behavioural activity of animals was carried out after single and prolonged hyperthermia using the following methods: “Open field”, “Elevated cruciform maze”, Porsolt’s test, running on a treadmill. The tests were performed two times: the first time - before exposure, the second - after, with intervals between tests of at least two weeks. Results. The data obtained indicate that the high ambient temperature causes changes in the behavioural responses in animals, which is expressed by an increase in the level of anxiety, a decrease in motor and research activity, the development of depressive states, and a decrease in physical endurance. Conclusion. An experimental model of extreme heat exposure on animals showed the emergence and persistence of changes in animals’ behavioural activity and physical performance indicators. This experiment can be used to study the long-term effects of high temperatures on firefighters’ bodies.

Learning predictive cognitive maps with spiking neurons during behaviour and replays

We describe a framework where a biologically plausible spiking neural network mimicking hippocampal layers learns a cognitive map known as the successor representation. We show analytically how, on the algorithmic level, the learning follows the TD(λ) algorithm, which emerges from the underlying spike-timing dependent plasticity rule. We then analyze the implications of this framework, uncovering how behavioural activity and experience replays can play complementary roles when learning the representation of the environment, how we can learn relations over behavioural timescales with synaptic plasticity acting on the range of milliseconds, and how the learned representation can be flexibly encoded by allowing state-dependent delay discounting through neuromodulation and altered firing rates.

Prooxidant-Antioxidant Balance in the Heart of Rats with Different Behavioral Activities under the Conditions of Light Exposition

The purpose of the article. The article shows that the effect of round-the-clock lighting causes changes in the processes of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activity in rats, and depends on their behavioural activity. The effects of lighting on the processes of oxidative metabolism of varying degrees in the heart of resistant and unstable to emotional stress rats. Materials and methods. Investigations were carried out on 32 mature Wistar rats, divided into four groups: group 1 – animals resistant to emotional stress (intact); group 2 – intact animals unstable to emotional stress; group 3 – experimental animals resistant to emotional stress (30-day light exposure (1000 lux)); group 4 – experimental animals, unstable to emotional stress (30-day light exposure (1000 lux)). When assessing the effect of light on the state of the organism, the most important integral indicator is the behavior of animals. Therefore, during the experiment we used the observation of behavioral reactions in the test “open field”. Based on the characteristics of the behavior of animals in the “open field” rats were divided into groups resistant and unstable to emotional stress. To assess lipid peroxidation in the heart homogenate, the concentration of TBA-active products, the concentration of diene, oxidiene and triene conjugates were determined. Antioxidant processes were assessed by the increase in the concentration of TBA- active products during 1.5-hour incubation in an iron-ascorbate buffer solution, as well as by the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase. Results and discussion. Prooxidant activity was characterized by an increase in the concentration of TBA-reactive substances in animals resistant to emotional stress. The concentration of TBA-reactive substances after 1.5-hour incubation increased in both experimental groups. Changes in the antioxidant status were illustrated by an increase in superoxide dismutase activity in the group of stress-unstable rats, whereas catalase activity increased in both experimental groups. In addition, in the group of animals resistant to emotional stress, a significant decrease in the resources of α-tocopherol and β-carotene was revealed. Conclusion. The long-term light exposure promotes the formation of end products of peroxidation in the heart of rats resistant to emotional stress and causes a decrease in antioxidant potential, regardless of behavioural activity. Antioxidant activity in the heart of emotionally stress-resistant rats is realized through both the enzyme and non-enzyme links of the antioxidant defence, while the main role in the heart of emotionally stress-resistant rats is played by superoxide dismutase activity

Neural and behavioural responses of the pollen-specialist bee Andrena vaga to Salix odours

An effective means of finding food is crucial for organisms. Whereas specialized animals select a small number of potentially available food sources, generalists use a broader range. Specialist (oligolectic) bees forage on a small range of flowering plants for pollen and use primarily olfactory and visual cues to locate their host flowers. So far, however, little is known about the specific cues oligoleges use to discriminate between hosts and non-hosts and how floral scent compounds of hosts and non-hosts are processed in the bees’ olfactory system. In this study, we recorded physiological responses of the antennae (electroantennographic detection coupled to gas chromatography GC-EAD) and in the brain (optical imaging, GC-imaging), and studied host-finding behaviour of oligolectic Andrena vaga bees, a specialist on Salix plants. In total, we detected 37 physiologically active compounds in host and non-host scents. 4-Oxoisophorone, a common constituent in the scent of many Salix species, evoked strong responses in the antennal lobe glomeruli of A. vaga, but not the generalist honeybee Apis mellifera. The specific glomerular responses to 4-oxoisophorone in natural Salix scents reveals a high degree of specialization in A. vaga for this typical Salix odorant component. In behavioural experiments, we found olfactory cues to be the key attractants for A. vaga to Salix hosts, which are also used to discriminate between hosts and non-hosts, and demonstrated a behavioural activity for 4-oxoisophorone. A high sensitivity to floral scents enables the specialized bees to effectively find flowers and it appears that A. vaga bees are highly tuned to 4-oxoisophorone at a very low concentration.

Sex matters: effects of sex and mating in the presence and absence of a protective microbe

In most animals, female investment in offspring production is greater than for males. Lifetime reproductive success (LRS) is predicted to be optimised in females through extended lifespans to maximise reproductive events. Extended lifespan can be achieved through increased investment in immunity. Males, however, maximise lifetime reproductive success by obtaining as many matings as possible. Microbe-mediated protection (MMP) is known to affect both immunity and reproduction, but whether the two sexes respond differently to the provision of MMP remains to be explored. Here, we investigated the sex-specific differences in host life history traits between female and male Caenorhabditis elegans following pathogenic infection with Staphylococcus aureus with or without MMP by Enterococcus faecalis. Overall, female survival decreased with increased mating. With MMP, females increased investment into offspring production, while males displayed higher behavioural activity. These results highlight the different strategies employed by the two sexes under pathogen infection with and without MMP.

Towards Novel Treatments for Schizophrenia: Molecular and Behavioural Signatures of the Psychotropic Agent SEP-363856

Schizophrenia is a complex psychopathology whose treatment is still challenging. Given the limitations of existing antipsychotics, there is urgent need for novel drugs with fewer side effects. SEP-363856 (SEP-856) is a novel psychotropic agent currently under phase III clinical investigation for schizophrenia treatment. In this study, we investigated the ability of an acute oral SEP-856 administration to modulate the functional activity of specific brain regions at basal levels and under glutamatergic or dopaminergic-perturbed conditions in adult rats. We found that immediate-early genes (IEGs) expression was strongly upregulated in the prefrontal cortex and, to a less extent, in the ventral hippocampus, suggesting an activation of these regions. Furthermore, SEP-856 was effective in preventing the hyperactivity induced by an acute injection of phencyclidine (PCP), but not of d-amphetamine (AMPH). The compound effectively normalized the PCP-induced increase in IEGs expression in the PFC at all doses tested, whereas only the highest dose determined the major modulations on AMPH-induced changes. Lastly, SEP-856 acute administration corrected the cognitive deficits produced by subchronic PCP administration. Taken together, our data provide further insights on SEP-856, suggesting that modulation of the PFC may represent an important mechanism for the functional and behavioural activity of this novel compound.

Comparative Efficacies of Antimigraine Drugs Using Nitroglycerin Induced Migraine Rats Model

Aim: The migraine pathology is still not explained effectively. There is a common relationship between anxiety, depression, and migraine. So the aim of the study to illustrate effectively the behavioural and biomarker changes in the migraine condition. Methods: Nitroglycerin (NTG) induced migraine rats model was used the present study. Twenty-five male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups. Ergotamine, sumatriptan, and BIBN4096 were used as antimigraine drugs. The behavioural activity was measured by scratching head, body shaking, and social interaction task. ELISA detected biomarkers like interleukin 6 (IL-6), Substance P (SP) and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in various rats brain regions such as cortex, brain stem, trigeminal ganglion. Results: A significant reduction in hyperalgesic response and behavioral changes like scratching head, body shaking and social interaction task. Biomarkers like 5-HT, SP and IL-6 were significantly reduced in the various brain regions such as prefrontal cortex, brain stem and trigeminal ganglia of the rats in the BIBN4096 treated groups. Conclusion: The present study showed a good antimigraine efficacy with a calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonistic agent BIBN4096 than ergotamine and sumatriptan but still lack of behavioural pattern, need to explore nonpharmacological intervention along with the drug treatment.